In "All Good Things," Kirsten Dunst plays the wife of a real-life New York real estate tycoon. She disappeared in 1982, and although her husband was suspected in her murder, he was never charged.

Kirsten Dunst was the cat's pajamas in "The Cat's Meow."

Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams play ditzy young women who meet President Nixon in the political spoof "Dick."

Kirsten showed her versatlity in "Marie Antoinette," a film that reportedly got booed at Cannes, although the actress said she was there and it didn't happen.

Orlando Bloom joined Kirsten Dunst in "Elizabethtown," which was written and directed by Cameron Crowe.

With the exception of Dakota Fanning, have you ever seen a more mature young actress than Kirsten in "Interview with the Vampire." Yes, that's Tom Cruise.

Sorry, had to look at Mary Jane one more time.

Cheerleaders just wanna have fun.

Kirsten and Julia Stiles are proper young women in "Mona Lisa Smile," an interesting but not necessarily fascinating look at college life in the 1950s.

This is not a Halloween party - it's a period movie called "Marie Antoinette."

Cheerleaders jump for joy in "Bring It On." Audiences were joyful as well.

Ah, Mary Jane Watson, the object of desire of millions of "Spider-Man" fans, not to mention Peter Parker himself.

Kirsten's character is starting to worry about her relationship with her wealthy husband in "All Good Things." Her concerns were well-founded.

This iconic scene from "Spider-Man" is not only a favorite of fanboys, but women love it because of the kiss, and men love it because of the rain.

Although Kirsten Dunst is known as a serious dramatic actress, her role as a cheerleader in "Bring It On" has a surprising number of supporters.

There were good times, as depicted in the film "All Good Things," before everything went horribly wrong.

For those guys who already weren't in love with Kirsten Dunst, the 2001 film "Crazy/Beautiful" sealed the deal.

Was she cute in "Jumanji," or what?

In "Wimbleton," Kirsten Dunst plays a rising young professional tennis player who rushes the net.

Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union line up for a battle of the pom-poms in "Bring It On."

Movie fans knew they were witnessing the birth of an acting career when they first saw Kirsten in "Interview with the Vampire."

In the political spoof "Wag the Dog," Kirsten helps Dustin Hoffman pull off a stunt intended to deceive the public. Not that it ever happens in real life.

Kirsten Dunst says the massive success of the "Spider-Man" franchise has helped her career and enabled her to get meaty roles in smaller films, such as "All Good Things," opening in Orange County on Friday.

If I were younger, more attractive, considerably more talented and a woman, Kirsten Dunst and I would be like twins separated at birth.

But she’s also a blonde, so the 28-year-old actress is nothing like me.

She was born in New Jersey, as I was, and she lived for a time in Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley, as I did, so there are some similarities, but she chose her own career path, and now I’m writing about her career.

Appearing in TV commercials at 3, she was introduced on the big screen by Woody Allen in “New York Stories,” but stunned movie-goers when she starred at 12 opposite Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in “Interview with the Vampire.”

She has had a solid dramatic career with roles in many low-budget and little-seen films, but the same cannot be said for her celebrated turn as Mary Jane Watson, the object of Peter Parker’s desire in the “Spider-Man” trilogy. There was nothing low-budget or little-seen about any of those comic-book movies, which grossed more than $1 billion at the box office in this country alone.

With the opening Friday of the real-life murder mystery “All Good Things,” the actress seems to be returning to her roots. Based on the most notorious missing-person’s case in New York City history, Dunst plays a young woman whose husband was suspected of having a hand in her disappearance in 1982. The case was never solved, and the husband – real estate tycoon Robert Durst – continues to live a carefree life outside of prison with the help of a $65 million settlement from his family.

Sitting in a Los Angeles hotel suite, the soft-spoken actress talked about meeting the family of the woman she portrayed, what she liked about being part of the “Spider-Man” phenomenon and why the two-year hiatus she took from acting paid off with four new movies.

In addition to “All Good Things,” she will star in director Lars von Triers’ “Melancholia,” the sci-fi romance “Upside Down” and Walter Salles’ version of the iconic Jack Kerouac novel “On the Road.”

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: For most of your career, you have acted in serious dramas like “All Good Things.” How did the “Spider-Man” trilogy fit into your career plan?

KIRSTEN DUNST: The opportunities that those movies gave me were huge. And to be known everywhere in the world was fun.

Q. Is it?

A. I remember going to places where I assumed nobody knew me, and everybody knew me. It was nice.

Q. Besides the ego boost, what’s the impact of that kind of recognition?

A. It helps in every area, particularly when you’re going to do independent films. When people know who you are, it helps movies get made. Andrew (director Andrew Jarecki of “All Good Things”) cast me because of “Spider-Man.”

Q. What?

A. Seriously. He told me that. It’s so fascinating to me what people see in my other movies that makes them want to cast me in their films.

Q. I’m not denying that being in the “Spider-Man” trilogy was a good thing for you, from both a financial standpoint and a recognition factor. My point is that it didn’t fit into your usual film choices.

A. In what way?

Q. I think of you as an indie actress, and “Spider-Man” is anything but an indie film.

A. But it is an Independent film in a way. I don’t think “Spider-Man” was your standard comic-book movie. It had independent movie sensibilities. But, if that’s what you like seeing me in, you’re going to love my next film (“Melancholia”).

Q. The last time we spoke, you told me that the worst thing that could happen was to be in a movie that is ignored. Following that logic, I suppose being in “Spider-Man” was the best possible thing. Do you still feel that way?

A. About being ignored?

Q. Yes.

A. When you work hard, you want people to see your work. I think that’s the same with any job.

Q. So, you’re not one of those actors who say it’s all about the art, and that they don’t care if anyone sees their movies?

A. I do this because I love acting, but part of that is having the movie come out in theaters and having people see it. That’s the whole point of storytelling.

Q. Speaking of storytelling, the story in “All Good Things” is shocking, isn’t it?

A. The fact that this man is not in jail is crazy. It creeped me out to find out that this guy is walking around. To bring this story to light is important. I sense that people can’t wait to see this movie, and that’s great.

Q. What was the attraction as an actress?

A. There was so much to this character. It was a role that went from 17 to 29, and it felt like I was living her life, and so much had happened to her. There were so many emotions I’d get to play. There aren’t a lot of roles like that for actresses. Usually, pretty girls are one-note characters in films. Or a bit dumb, and I didn’t want to play her as dumb.

Q. Did you talk to her family?

A. I talked to her brother. I went to his house for dinner.

Q. What did he want you to know about his sister?

A. I think he just wanted to meet me. He wanted to make sure his sister was well-represented. He said she was intelligent and funny, and that when she walked in a room, she lit up that room. I think they were happy I was playing her.

Q. I know that actors don’t have career plans, but if you had written down a career plan when you were a teenager, is this where you would have hoped you’d be at 28?

A. You’re right; I didn’t have a plan, but if I had one at 17, I certainly would have hoped that I’d still be acting at 28. Making the transition from teen roles to adult roles is not easy. It doesn’t work for everyone, and I’m proud that I was able to make the transition. There are so many great actresses in this town, and so much competition for the good roles.

Q. Have you ever felt that you’d never work again?

A. I haven’t. I know the business. I know that there are ups and downs, and you have to weather the downs.

Q. How do you choose roles?

A. I choose on intuition.

Q. It must be pretty good intuition because we never saw you in “Police Academy 6.”

A. I choose the material I respond to, and the directors I want to work with. I will wait for the right material and the right director. I won’t work for the sake of working. I set the bar high, but it’s worth it to me.

Q. You did take some time off before this film. I believe it was two years. Why was that?

A. I needed to take a break. I needed to reevaluate why I do what I do. I had been working consistently most of my life, and I needed acting to change for me. I wanted to act for the right reasons.

Q. And what did you learn?

A. It was this film that taught me how incredible and cathartic acting can be when you do it for yourself. It awakened something inside me.

Q. Did you miss acting during this break?

A. I’ll be honest with you; the roles being offered weren’t that great, so there was nothing to miss. But they got better.

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